Hotels Overview

Accommodation in Wellington ranges from no-frills backpacker hostels and innocuous motel units, to classic B&Bs in colonial-era villas, to sleek central hotels. Among these, Wellington has a good sprinkling of truly distinctive places. In the suburb of Island Bay, you can stay in a lighthouse or in a castle's tower, both with magnificent views of the Cook Strait and South Island mountain ranges. A couple of places target women travelers; there's a central hostel with a women-only floor plus a women-only guesthouse in the laid-back suburb of Aro Valley. And on the sunny slopes of Mt. Victoria, a Wellington author has turned her home into a B&B for book lovers.

As more people move into the city, apartments moonlighting as "serviced-apartment" hotels are gaining steam. Tariffs are significantly more expensive than those of the average motel, but the apartments, such as City Life Wellington, are a good option if you're planning to stay a while. Most of these apartment/hotels have weekend or long-term specials.

Most lodgings generally do not have air-conditioning, but the temperate weather in Wellington rarely warrants it.